S?9 3 "f t. 


Price t 50 Cents 

MEADE ______ 



Story Time 
Tales 


By LAURA ROUNTREE SMITH 

MARCH BROTHERS, Publishers 
208, 210, 212 WRIGHT AVENUE, LEBANON, OHIO 



























Songs and Musical Novelties 

THE BLACKSMITH. A rollicking song which savors strongly of hammer and 
anvil. Solo and chorus. A "busy” song for little men. Very interesting. 35c. 

BOW-BEAKEKS TO CHIEF BED CLOl'D. Indian song novelty for any numlier 
of boys. Lively and unique. Indian characteristics throughout. Any ago. 3.>c. 

CHURNING. The story in song of the little folks making butter at Grandpa’s. 
For any number, "instructive” and clever. 35e. 

THE COLONIAL MINUET. Music and full directions for rendering the stately 
minuet our grandmas danced long years ago. Novel, quaint and graceful. 35c. 

COL. ZOOZOO’S ZOBO BAND. Patriotic burlesque novelty. Makes fun of the 
merriest sort. "Col. Zoozoo” and "fake” orchestra entertain. A great hit. 35c. 

DOLLY, STOP WEEPING. The sweetest doll lullaby ever written. Cute words, 
soothing melodv and graceful motions. Very rare. Highly recommended. 35c. 

DOLLY, YOU MUST GO TO BED. A charming doll’s lullaby, for any number of 
little mothers. It will soothe the most stubborn baby. 35c. 

“DON’T BE SO ROUGH, JIM; I CAN’T PLAY TO-NIGHT.” A very pathetic 
character song for medium voice. Sensible, touching, captivating. 35c. 

THE HENPECK SINGIN’ SKEWL’S EXERBITION CONCERT. The old-time 
singing school. Oceans of fun. Great "money-raiser.” Easy to give. 35c. 

IN THE DAYS I WENT TO SCHOOL. A humorous descriptive^ song in which 
old wavs and new are compared. Very desirable. Not difficult. 35c. 

JUST TO BE HOME AGAIN. A song or yearning for home. Splendid for any 
occasion, but especially suited to home-comings. 35c. 

KEEPING STILL. A solo for boy or may be used as chorus. Humorous and 
captivating. 35c. 

LI’L PICKANNIN’S PARLANCE. A song of rare beauty. Suggestive of planta¬ 
tion life. A sweet melody. Solo or duet. Comical, but pathetic. 35c. 

LITTLE MOTHERS. A splendid motion song portraying the trials of a comjiany 
of little housekeepers. Very bright and clever. Will grace any program. 35c. 

LITTLE VIRGINIA ’RISTOCRATS. Cute character song for one or any number 
of little " ’Ristocratic Maidens.” Lively. For any program. Very clever. 35c. 

LOOK PLEASANT. An opening song, either solo or chorus, sure to put an audi¬ 
ence in the best of humor. 35c. 

THE MERRY FARMERS. Costume song for small boys. They tell how to raise 
the biggest crops, as only small boys can ; interesting and entertaining. 35c. 

MERRY LITTLE WTTCHES, BEWITCHING. Unique song novelty for any 
numlter dainty little ladies; exceedingly pretty; unique; highly recommended. 35c. 

MUD PIES. Cute costume song for little cooks. Decidedly pleading. Recalls the 
joys of younger days. Delightful for any numlier little folks. 35c. 

NATIONAL SUFFRAGETTE SONG. A victorious march song, ringing true to 
the Great Cause of Votes for Women. A battle hymn of freedom. 35c. 

PETERKINS AND POLLY, VERY DUTCH, BUT QUITE JOLLY. Very amus¬ 
ing Dutch song; quaint, comical and popular; duet for boy and girl; clever. 35c. 

THE QUARREL. Amusing duet for little boy and girl. A mirth provoker. True 
to life; humorous, bright and pleasing. Not difficult. 35c. 

THE RHEl’MATIZ. A humorous action song for any number of either girls or 
boys, or both, dressed as old folks. 35c. 

TAKING THE TUCKS OUT OF EACH TINY DRESS. A song of mother love 
and home. An anti-suffragette argument. Sung by little girls with dolls. 35c. 

TRIALS OF A BOY. Solo for boy. The complaint of a boy who has to tend baby 
when the game is on. Music simple, but exceptionally pleasing. 35c. 

“’TWAS THEE!” “ ’TWAS THOU!” “AND THIS I AVOW!” A Quaker quar¬ 
rel. Delightful duet for boy and girl. A unique novelty. Highly amusing. 35c. 

TWO CRUSTY LITTLE PIES. Why the pies were crusty. An attraction for 
Washington’s birthday or any timp. Duet for boy and girl, or chorus. 35c. 

“WE WOULDN’T SAY A WORD, BUT ’TIS QUITE ABSURD.” A shocking 
state of affairs depicted. For any number little boys and girls. 35c. 

WHEN VISITORS COME ’ROUND. Humorous descriptive song, telling how our 
school “shows off” before visitors. Sure success for all occasions. 35c. 

YOU MUST NOT SWIM. To be used as solo or sung in unison. Story in song 
of a boy’s predicament. 35c. 

Musically Accompanied Recitations 

POEMS WITH INTERPRETATIVE MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENTS, AND 

LESSON TALKS 

BENEATH THE WILLERS; LITTLE BROWN BABY. In negro dialect. One 
very tender, the other humorous. Both in one number. 50c. 

LITTLE BOY BLUE. Pathetic story of dust-covered toys once owned by little 
boy who died. 50c. 

MAMMY’S LULLABY; SECRETS. Splendid negro dialect. Both in one num¬ 
ber. 50c. N 

OUR WASHINGTON. A strong patriotic number. 50c. 

~ONG OF THE MARKET PLACE. Narrative of great singer and lieggar girl. 50c. 

<d) 


STORY TIME 
TALES 


BY 

LAURA ROUNTREE SMITH 

fl 

AUTHOR OF 

“ANIMAL TALES” 



88 88 


MARCH BROTHERS, Publishers 

208, 210, 212 Wright Avenue, Lebanon, Ohio 

\ c {^-6 


TZa 

.341 




COPYRIGHT, 1920, By 
MARCH BROTHERS 


fUANSFEKRED FftO^ 
COPYRIGHT O r n^p 
Me f i&2?' 





Ml 18 1920 





CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Introduction . 5 

The Little Moon Men. 7 

The Once-A-Week Girl. 12 

The Gingerbread Boy and Girl. 16 

Tinkle Bell and the Tiny Tots. 19 

The Jolly Old Pumpkin. 26 

The Shadow Child. 30 

The Pot of Gold. 36 

Fairy Sunshine. 42 

The Spool Family. 46 

Little Miss Muffet’s Picnic Party. 49 

In Mother Goose Town. 55 

The Pyramid’s Story. 59 

Little Dwarf Merry Maker. 62 

Ann’s Funny Fingers. 68 






































INTRODUCTION 


If you go with me to Story Time Land, 

I hope, dear children, you’ll understand; 
Many beautiful surprises wait for you, 

In the land where lovely dreams come true. 
You will all be happy children, indeed, 
When Story Time Tales you learn to read. 






























THE LITTLE MOON MEN 


Once upon a time there was a little 
boy, 

Who did not always do what’s right. 

He tried to stay awake all night. 

One evening when mother and father 
had tried to coax him to go to sleep, Old 
Aunt Rachel, the colored mammy, came 
clumpety-clump, clump, up stairs. 

She took the little boy in her arms 
and rocked to and fro in the old rock¬ 
ing chair. 

As they went rocking to and fro, the 
little boy stared at the great moon and 
said: 

“I don’t like a sleepy song, 

I want to stay up all night long/’ 


7 


8 


Story Time Tales 


At this the Old Mammy pretended 
she did not hear, and said in a sing-song 
kind of way: 

“Little Men, Little Men, 

Skipping o’er the hill and glen ; 

Little Men, Little Men, 

Carry sacks of dreams, what then? 

Little Men, Little Men, 

Here they all come out again.” 

“Who are the Little Men?” asked the 
little boy. 

Mammy rocked to and fro and said: 

“See them creeping over the moon, 

One will be in your bed-room soon.” 

Then the most surprising thing hap¬ 
pened! 

The little boy looked, and up over the 
moon crept a wee little man with a sack 
on his back. There came another, and 
another, and another. Would they never 
stop coming? 

As they came nearer, and nearer, and 
nearer, you could even "hear the song 
one Little Man was singing, 

“Rock away, rock away to and fro, 

I’ll bring a Rocking Chair dream you know.” 


Story Time Tales . 


9 


One Little Man came so near you 
could hear the patter, patter, patter of 
his little feet. 

Then he danced right on the window 
sill and sang: 

“Hello, bright eyes, I’ll tickle your toes, 

I am in earnest, goodness knows.” 

Before Mammy or the little boy 
could say a word, in came the Little 
Man and tickled the little boy’s toes! 

The Little Man sang as he tickled the 
little boy’s toes: 

“Nid-nid-nodding, goes your head, 

Ha, ha, ho, ho, it’s time for bed.” 

At this very minute the little boy’s 
head went nid-nid-nodding. Then the 
Little Man kissed him on both cheeks 
and said: 

“Rock away, rock away, 

Sleeping ’til the break of day.” 

As the little boy fell fast asleep the 
Little Man took a beautiful dream out 
of his bag, and he and the little boy 
joined hands and skipped away, away, 
away. 


10 


Story Time Tales 


They left Mammy asleep rocking 
gently to and fro in the old rocking 
chair. 

As they sailed up, up, up among the 
clouds the little boy said: 

“It is fun to sail at night, 

When the moon and stars are bright.” 

The Little Man said: 

“I’m glad you did, as you were told, 

I’ll go and dig for fairy gold.” 

There they were with the little Moon 
Men, and they were all digging for 
gold! 

Click, click, click went the spades, 
and up came the gold pieces! 

Big gold pieces, little gold pieces, 
middle-sized gold pieces! 

Just as the little boy cried, “Let me • 
dig!” and took hold of one of the little 
wee spades, he woke up and saw that 
Mammy was gone, but the rocking 
chair still rocked to and fro in the 
moonlight. 

He was safe and sound in his wee lit¬ 
tle bed. 


Story Time Tales 


11 


He put his hand under his pillow and 
pulled out a shining gold piece. On it 
was written, 

“Go to sleep, when you are told, 

Then you will gather fairy gold.” 

Will you believe it? His head went 
nid-nid-nodding right away again and 
he was asleep in two minutes. 

The rocking chair in the corner was 
very wise and old. It sang: 

“I can tell other tales, my dears, 

For I have rocked one hundred years.” 

I wonder if your rocking chair rocks 
to and fro in the corner? 


THE ONCE-A-WEEK GIRL 


“Little Smiling Face, I have not seen 
you for a whole week,” said the Bath 
Tub Fairy. 

“Soiled hands and sticky face, 

You can’t find them any place,” 

replied the little girl, laughing happily 
as she unbuttoned this button and un¬ 
tied that string. 

“I see some little girls every day,” 
continued the Bath Tub Fairy. “If I 
only meet you once a week, we’ll have 
to be introduced all over again.” 

The Soap Bubble Fairy cried: 

“You spoke in verses, other times, 

Where did you leave your box of rhymes?” 

The Bath Tub Fairy began to dash 
and splash about in the most comical 
manner, and the little girl cried: 

“Please don’t be reckless. I suppose 

You’d like to splash on my clean clothes.” 

The Turkish Towel Fairy waved her 
towel and cried: 

“Bath Tub Fairy, without doubt, 

You’ve lost your rhymes, the secret’s out.” 

12 


Story Time Tales 


13 


The Bath Tub Fairy replied: 

“Now jump in, while tho water’s hot, 

We’ll have some fun as like as not.” 

Then the little girl, and the Soap 
Bubble Fairy, and the Water Fairy, and 
the Turkish Towel Fairy, saw that the 
Bath Tub Fairy had not lost his box of 
rhymes after all, and little Smiling Face 
jumped in the tub, singing: 

“Rub and scrub, rub and scrub, 

It’s fun to bathe right in the tub.” 

“How about going in swimming in 
the pond?” asked the Water Fairy. 

The little girl said: 

“May I go and swim some day, 

In the pond across the way?” 

The Bath Tub Fairy said: 

“You don’t like water, that is plain, 

I seldom see you, please explain.” 

The little girl said: 

“I have so many things to do, 

It’s hard to get a bath in, too.” 

The Bath Tub Fairy got rather cross 
at that, and dashed about at a great rate. 

The Soap Bubble Fairy said: 

“She means to be a good girl, very, 

But seldom ever sees a fairy.” 


14 Story Time Tales 

The Turkish Towel Fairy said: 

“We’ll safely hide ourselves away, 

Until she likes a bath each day.” 

The little girl said, “If I take a bath 
each day, will I see you? Where do 
you hide? Why is it so hard to see a 
Fairy?” 

The Bath Tub Fairy answered: 

“Your question box is very fine, 

I’ll answer one question at a time; 

If you were not little, but old and wise, 

You’d see us with your other eyes.” 

The Soap Bubble Fairy said: 

“Fairies live o’er all creation, 

Why not use your imagination?” 

The Towel Fairy said: 

“With your mind’s eye you can see, 

Fairies full of fun and glee.” 

Just as the Water Fairy was trying to 
get in a word, Mother called: 

“Hurry, hurry, come to bed, 

Little smiling, sleepy head.” 

The little girl sprang out of the tub, 
took out the stopper, put the soap on the 


Story Time Tales 15 

rack and hugged the old bath towel ’till 
she was quite dry, singing merrily: 

“Hurrah, for the Fairies in the tub, 

How I like to rub and scrub; 

If I bathed every night or day, 

With all the Fairies I could play.” 

The Bath Tub Fairy called as the 
Water Fairy ran out of the tub: 

“You’re so good-natured, Smiling Face, 

It’s time for bed, let’s run a race.” 

The little girl ran “pitter, patter, pit- 
ter, patter” off to bed. 

The Water Fairy ran “clitter, clatter, 
clitter, clatter” out of the tub. 

The Bath Tub Stopper said in a rub¬ 
bery voice: 

*‘I had to stay right in my place, 

I can not tell who won the race.” 

The Soap Bubble Fairy bubbled over 
with laughter, and the Turkish Towel 
Fairy said: 

“If you want to beat Fairies in the tub, 

You’ll have to hurry and rub and scrub; 

I’ll give you too, this bit of warning, 

You’ll have to get up in the early morning.” 

The little girl dreamed all night that 
she saw Fairies dancing in the Old Bath 
Tub. 



THE GINGERBREAD BOY AND 
GIRL 


Old Mammy Cook-It-All sat in a 
rocking chair by the fire, singing: 

“I’ll take a nap now, just for furl ,) i H 
My cakes and cookies are all done,” ^, 

“How about me?” whispered the 
Gingerbread Boy. 

“How about me?” whispered the 
Gingerbread Girl. 

Old Mammy Cook-It-All was nid- 
nid-nodding fast asleep. 

The Gingerbread Boy began to fan 
himself with a piece of blotting paper, 
and the Gingerbread Girl began to fan 
herself with a postage stamp. 























Story Time Tales 


17 


They had just come out of the hot 
oven. 

Said the Gingerbread Girl: 

. “Old Daddy Eat-It-All, 

Is not your friend or mine at all.” 

Said the Gingerbread Boy: 

“Here comes old Daddy Eat-It-All, 

I hear his cane thump down the hall.” 

“Tap, tap, tap,” sounded the cane, 
and Old Daddy Eat-It-All peeped in the 
kitchen and saw Mammy Cook-It-All 
fast asleep. He took another chair by 
the fire and soon he was nid-nid-nod- 
ding fast asleep. 

The Gingerbread Boy and Girl said: 

“The kitchen is the place for fun, 

And with the broom our work’s begun'” 

The Gingerbread Girl took a broom 
and swept the floor, and the Ginger¬ 
bread Boy took a cloth and dusted the 
tables and chairs. 

They had just finished when Old Dog 
Towser came in and opened his mouth. 

My! what a big mouth he had! 

He was just going to snap off the 
Gingerbread Girl’s head and the Gin- 


18 Story Time Tales 

gerbread Boy’s feet, when Old Mammy 
Cook-It-All woke up, and Old Daddy 
Eat-It-All woke up, crying: 

“Oh, Dog Towser, don’t snap in fun, 

Gingerbread Girl and Boy you run.” 

The dog laid his ears back and closed 
his mouth, and the Gingerbread Boy 
and Girl jumped up in the pan on the 
table. 

Old Daddy Eat-It-All said: 

“You may have often heard it said, 

How well I do like gingerbread!’ 

Old Mammy Cook-It-All gave him a 
cake of gingerbread and said, as she 
looked at her clean kitchen: 

“I hope that nothing will ever destroy, 

My Gingerbread Girl and Gingerbread Boy.” 

Old Dog Towser said nothing, but his 
eyes grew as big as saucers! 


TINKLE BELL AND THE TINY 
TOTS 

One night, Mother said, “Hurry up, 
Robbie; hurry up, Wee Sister! Why 
are you so slow undressing?” 

Before Robbie and Wee could an¬ 
swer, a shrill voice piped up: 

“I know, says Tinkle Bell, the Elf, 

I can answer that question now, myself.” 

They all looked to see where the fairy 
voice came from, but they could only 
hear a little bell ring, “tinkle, tinkle, 
tinkle.” 

Mother said, “Hurry up, and undress, 
and perhaps you will hear the fairy 
song again. Perhaps you will see the 
little bell that tinkles.” 

The children unbuttoned this, and 
unhooked that, and a merry voice 
called: 

“Little Behind-Hand likes to play, 

With children always night and day. 

Then the children laughed and said, 
“We won’t let Little Behind-Hand in! 
Sing again, merry Tinkle Bell!” 


20 


Story Time Tales 


“Why are you so slow?” asked 
Mother again, quite forgetting the 
Fairy. 

At that very minute a Fairy voice 
answered: 

“Little Behind-Hand, without doubt. 

Just likes to linger ’round about.” 

“Oh, my,” said Robbie, “how I do 
haite to unbutton shoes! I think they 
have forty-nine buttons upon them.” 

Tinkle Bell sang: 

“Just call on me, whenever you choose, 

I like to help unbutton shoes.” 

Then the most surprising thing hap¬ 
pened! 

Robbie’s shoes were unbuttoned by 
invisible fingers, and, as he started to 
leave them in a little heap upon the 
floor, a voice cried: 

“Oh Robbie, Robbie, have a care, 

Put your shoes beneath the chair.” 

At this very minute Wee wrinkled 
her face up into many little wrinkles 
and said, “My fingers are all thumbs. 


Story Time Tales 


21 


Oh, Mother, I can not untie my hair 
ribbon!” 

Tinkle Bell sang: 

“Come, smile a little, never sigh, 

If a hair ribbon you’d untie.” 

Then the ribbon came off of itself 
and fell upon the floor and Tinkle Bell 
sang: 

“Don’t leave your things upon the floor, 

The fairies find it quite a bore.” 

As Wee picked up her ribbon, Tinkle 
Bell sang: 

“Hurry, hurry, fold it neatly, 

Come now, do the task completely.” 

Mother was called down stairs, and 
then, for the first time, the children saw 
Tinkle Bell. 

He was the cutest little Fairy in the 
world, and he jumped from one chair 
to another,' shouting directions: 

“Off with your trousers, have a care 
To fold them neatly on the chair.” 

And, 

“On with your nightie, it is fun, 

To run a race, when well begun.” 


22 


Story Time Tales 


Before the children knew it, they 
were ready for bed, and as they jumped 
in, Tinkle Bell sang: 

H always help the Tiny Tots, 

You- once were fairies like as not.” 

Little Behind-Hand peeped in the 
window, singing: 

“Little Behind-Hand, without doubt, 

Is sorry that you left her out.” 

Then she disappeared, and Tinkle 
Bell danced so hard that the little bell 
about his neck rang, “tinkle, tinkle, 
tinkle.” 

The children’s beds each became a 
fairy boat and they rocked away into 
Dreamland. 

The captain sang: 

“Tis the Dreamland boat, that sails the sea, 
Heigho for the fairy boat; 

’Neath its sails so gay, we’ll sail away, 

And o’er blue waters float.” 

Tinkle Bell waved his cap gayly, 
singing: 

“Come, Tiny Tots, you understand, 

This is the way to Fairyland.” 


Story Time Tales 


23 


Bump, bump, the boat came to a sud¬ 
den stop. There must be rocks in the 
sea! 

Robbie and Wee woke up and Tinkle 
Bell called: 

“Oh, Tiny Tots, look on the floor, 

You left some clothes there as before.” 

“Ha, ha,” cried the children, so we 
rocked over our own clothes after all!” 

As Tinkle Bell nodded, four and 
twenty little fairies came in dancing 
and singing: 

“We like to dance, when the floor is clear, 

We have very often peeped in here.” 

But when they saw some of the chil¬ 
dren’s clothes upon the floor, they 
floated away out the window. 

Wee called: 

“We are very careless, we declare, 

We meant to put them on the chair.” 

Tinkle Bell replied: 

'“You’re thoughtful children. I am told, 

Just listen to the fairy gold.” 

Off came his cap and down on the 
floor fell a shower of gold. 


24 


Story Time Tales 


“Oh” and “ah” cried the children, 
and Mother called, “Don’t talk any 
more children, it is time to sleep.” 

Tinkle Bell vanished and carried 
away the fairy gold. 

The children fell asleep. 

Next morning Robbie found a little, 
gold medal under his pillow. On it was 
written: 

“Do keep Little Behind-Hand out, 

'Twill please the fairies without doubt.” 


Wee found a medal, too, with the 
same words upon it. 

The children cried, “See our fairy 
gold.” 

Just then they heard the tinkling bell 
and a voice cried: 

“I’ll help you undress, very well, 

Just call on Little Tinkle Bell; 

And undress quickly, without fail, 

If in the fairy boat you’d sail.” 

“Don’t go away,” cried Robbie. 

“I can not find Tinkle Bell,” cried 
Wee. 

Just then the old grey cat peeped in 
the door. 


Story Time Tales 25 

She had a blue ribbon ’round her 
neck. 

She wore a silver bell that tinkled. 

You know, as well as I do, that the 
old grey cat can not sing real songs 
though, and she told me the other day 
that she never rode to Dreamland. 


THE JOLLY OLD PUMPKIN 


A Jolly Old Pumpkin, yellow and wise, 

Said, “Thanksgiving is coming, don’t steal my eyes.” 

A dull little knife came by and cut 
out the pumpkin’s eyes. He said, “I 
am glad you are not a potato with many 
eyes.” The pumpkin said, 
“Please give me my eyes 
back.” 

The dull little knife said, 
“I will not give you back your 
eyes until you give me a grind¬ 
stone to make me sharp.” 

So the Jolly Old Pumpkin 
saw it was no use to mince 
matters, and it rolled, and 
rolled, and rolled, until it came 
to a farmyard, and said: 

“Lend me your grindstone half an hour, 
I’ll pay anything within my power.” 

The farmer said: 

Oh, yellow pumpkin, roll away, 
To-morrow will be Thanksgiving Day.” 



Story Time Tales 


27 


The farmer’s wife said, “Why did 
you let the pumpkin go? It would 
have made a pie.” 

She called after the pumpkin: 

'‘Bring me sugar from the store, 

I’ve often wanted it before.” 

So the Jolly Old Pumpkin rolled and 
rolled to the store, and said: 

“Lend me some sugar, half an hour. 

I’ll pay anything within my power.” 

The storekeeper laughed until his fat 
old sides shook. He said: 

“Oh yellow pumpkin, roll away, 

For to-morrow will be Thanksgiving Day.” 

At this very minute the clerk in the 
store sang out: 

“Bring me some change, I haven’t any, 

I need dimes, nickles, and a penny.” 

Then the Jolly Old Pumpkin rolled 
away to the bank, and said: 

“Lend me some change, for half an hour, 

I’ll pay anything within my power.” 

The bank clerk said: 

“Oh, yellow pumpkin, roll away, 

For to-morrow will be Thanksgiving Day.” 


28 


Story Time Tales 


Just at that very minute, not a second 
before or a second after, a little Wee 
Man appeared, and said: 

“I’m a little Wee Man, with bags of gold, 

You need some change, so I am told/’ 


Then the Jolly Old Pumpkin rolled 
gladly after him, and got some change, 
and took it to the storekeeper, and 
bought the sugar, and took it to the 
farmer’s wife to 
sweeten her pies, 
and borrowed the 
grindstone, and 
took it to the knife, 
and the knife grew 
sharper, sharper 
and sharper, and 
gave the pumpkin 
back its eyes, and 
gave it a mouth, and nose, too, in the 
bargain, and said: 

“Pumpkin, you gave me a great surprise, 

Here are your jolly round, shining eyes; 

And a mouth and nose, as I suppose, 

You’ll be a Jack-o’-Lantern, as everyone knows.” 



The little Wee Man brought a candle 
and lighted it and put it inside the Jolly 
Old Pumpkin, and said: 


Story Time Tales 


29 


“Jolly Jack-o’-Lantern can run away, 

You’ll not be a pie on Thanksgiving Day.” 

The Jolly Old Pumpkin said: 

“I am only a Pumpkin Head, 

But am thankful for everything you’ve said 
Then he danced upon a post so high, 

If you look, you’ll see him by and by.” 


The Wee Little Man said: 

“If you’re as jolly, as I’ve heard say, 

I wish you a happy Thanksgiving Day.*' 

The Sharp Little Knife said: 

“ ’Tis well to be jolly in work and play, 

I wish you a happy Thanksgiving Day.” 

The Jolly Old Pumpkin replied: 

“In a cut-out voice I must reply, 

Pm thankful I’m not a pumpkin pie.” 


THE SHADOW CHILD 

Mother said to Girl Goldy Locks: 

“Eight o’clock is time for bed, 

Don’t you hear what mother said?” 

Girl Goldy Locks replied, “Do 1 
have to go nowf Can’t I sit up a little 
longer?” 

Will you believe it? This little girl 
pouted and teased every night when 
bedtime came, and she always begged 
to stay up a little longer. 

Mother hummed softly: 

“If the fairies werd about, 

They’d help me train you without doubt.” 

The clock struck quarter past eight, 
half past eight, quarter of nine. Still 
Girl Goldy sat playing with her blocks 
on the floor. 

Suddenly the lights went out. 

Fairy Whistling Wind blew the win¬ 
dow curtains, saying: 

“To make you good, I often try, 

Don’t you hear me whistling by?” 


Story Time Tales 


31 


Girl Goldy stamped her foot and said, 
“I will never go to bed to please you, 
Old Whistling Wind.” 

Then the Raindrop Fairies came, pat¬ 
ter, patter, patter, against the window 
pane, singing: 

“Don’t you hear our sleepy song, 

To night-time, pleasant dreams belong.” 

Girl Goldy tossed her lovely curls 
and said, “I won’t go to bed to please 
you, Raindrop Fairies, you may patter 
away as hard as you like.” 

My! how the Fairies then did clatter, 

“Pitter, patter, pitter, patter.” 

By and by the Star Fairies began to 
peep timidly out, singing: 

“Stars are peeping in the sky, 

By-low by, by-low by.” 


At this Girl Goldy was furious. She 
said, “I am no baby to hear lullabies.” 

Then the Moonlight Fairies came 
and kissed her, singing: 

“My! this girl is very wild. 

We’ll have to call the Shadow Child.” 


32 


Story Time Tales 


Before Girl Goldy could answer a 
word, a little Shadow Child came steal¬ 
ing and creeping. She came slyly peep¬ 
ing. She sang: 

“The Shadow Child comes stealing, creeping, 
And in your window she comes peeping.” 


She put her arms round Girl Goldy 
and went with her away, away, away to 
Shadow Land. 

There they heard a great weeping 
and sighing, for one thousand and 
twenty-five mothers were weeping: 

“We can not find a child, ’tis said, 

Who really likes to go to bed.” 


The Shadow Child said, “Look at me, 
how thin I have grown, I am tired and 
sleepy, too, will you give me no rest at 
all?” 

Girl Goldy said: 

“Take me home, tuck me in bed, 

Pull the covers high over my head.” 

The Shadow Child said: 


‘I’m your jolly companion all the day, 
I run with you in work and play.” 


Story Time Tales 


33 


Girl Goldy said: 

“I don’t like this weeping- in Shadow Land, 

Take me home, don’t you understand?” 

The Shadow Child said: 

“One little mother’d be happy, I know, 

If cheerfully on up to bed you'd go.” 

Girl Goldy said, “I like you very well 
in the day time, Shadow Child, but can’t 
you understand I am really sleepy 
now?” 

Her head went nid-nid-nodding as 
the Shadow Child said: 

“In Shadow Land, you have to stay, 

We keep awake both night and day.' 

Girl Goldy began to cry and the 
Moonlight Fairies trooped around her, 
singing: 

“Home again, home again, let us fly, 

Perhaps she’ll be good again, by and by.” 

So home again they went and the 
Shadow Child kissed her, singing: 

“Sleepy time, sleepy time, 

Comes again in every clime ” 

Then Girl Goldy awoke with her 
head resting on an old red hassock. 


34 Story Time Tales 

The Clock Fairy called: 

“I listened, and I heard it said, 

That all the family went to bed.” 

Girl Goldy felt like crying, for she 
was all alone down stairs, but she only 
said, “I must not start all those mothers 
sighing again in Shadow Land,” and 
she went up stairs “pitter, patter, pitter, 
patter,” and crept into her own little 
bed. 

The Moonlight Fairies danced about 
her and sang: 

“So very pleasant, now she seems, 

That we will bring her happy dreams.” 

The Clock Fairy said: 

“To-morrow night, at quarter of eight, 

I’ll sing to her, now don’t be late.” 

The Clock Fairy did really sing out 
at quarter of eight the next night, and 
Girl Goldy put her playthings away, 
kissed mother and went quietly to bed. 

Her little feet went “pitter, patter, 
pitter, patter” on the stairs. 


She never went back to Shadow Land, 
But danced with the fairies, hand in hand. 


Story Time Tales 35 

Mother said, “How did she happen 
to go to bed?” 

The Clock Fairy sees so many things 
as he swings to and fro, to and fro, on 
the pendulum, night and day, that he 
might have spoken volumes, but when 
mother asked again, 

“How did she happen to go to bed?” 

He only replied, “Tick, tock,” instead. 


THE POT OF GOLD 


April showers, April showers, 

Sing the drops of rain; 

April showers, April showers, 

On the window-pane. 

So sang the rain one morning as it 
went “rap-a-tap” on the window pane. 

There were showers inside that day 
as well as out, for Peter and Polly said 
they could have no fun on a rainy 
Saturday. 

Peter said, “Why do we have rain on 
Saturday?” and he cried a little. 

To his surprise, the umbrella in the 
corner answered: 

“April showers, bring flowers again, 

How I like the April rain; 

At the rainbow’s end I’m told, 

There may lie a pot of gold.” 

Polly said, “We did not know any 
one liked rain,” and she cried a little. 

To her surprise, the rubbers in the 
corner spoke up: 

“How we like the April rain, 

Rainbow colors in her train; 

If we could reach the rainbow’s end, 

We’d have a pot of gold to lend.” 


Story Time Tales 


37 


Peter and Polly looked out the win¬ 
dow and saw the drops of rain splash 
up and down in puddles in the street. 
They said: 


“Let’s pretend we like the rain, 

And be happy, once again; 

We may behold the pot of gold, 

It’s at the rainbow’s end we’re told.” 



At that very minute Polly said, “Oh, 
look!” And 
Peter said, 

“Oh, look!” 

What do you 
suppose they 
saw? 

Down in the 
puddle of 
water, four 
and twenty lit-, 
tie raindrops 
turned into 

four and twen- — 0 

ty little fairies, 0 

and each one carried a little umbrella. 

They cried to the children: 


“The Rain-Drop Fairies laugh and shout, 
Oh, get your rubbers and come out; 

If you should have, umbrellas, too, 

Be sure to bring them out with you.” 



38 


Story Time Tales 


Peter and Polly lost no time, you may 
be sure. 

They got rubbers and umbrellas and 
ran out to find the Raindrop Fairies. 

There they stood, with their four and 
twenty little umbrellas bobbing up and 
down. 

They said: 

“Hurry, for we give you warning, 

We’re busy on an April morning.” 

Peter and Polly followed them and 
they gave cool, refreshing showers 
everywhere they went. 

Suddenly they came to the heart of a 
great woods, and they called in their 
four and twenty little voices: 

“Lady April, Lady April, 

Wake up from your nap; 

Lady April, Lady April, 

Hear the Fairies tap.” 

The Fairies rapped and tapped with 
their little umbrellas at every tree they 
came to, hoping Lady April might 
come out. 

Then the Raindrop Fairies sat down 
in a circle and began to cry: 

“Spring has come, we’re not mistaken, 

But Lady April does not waken.” 


Story Time Tales 


39 


The Fairies cried into their four and 
twenty little handkerchiefs because they 
could not waken Lady April. 

They acted very much like real chil¬ 
dren after all! 

Just how Fairy Sunshine came filter¬ 
ing in through the little green leaves of 
the trees no one could tell, but there she 
stood before them, and the Fairies dried 
their eyes, for she took a little gold key 
and unlocked the nearest maple tree. 

Out stepped Lady April in her rain¬ 
bow gown. 

She wore a crown of spring flowers. 

She was full of tears and smiles! 

As Lady April stepped out of the 
tree, the wind blew warmer and warmer, 
and Fairy Sunshine knelt on one knee 
and presented her with the pot of ' gold, 
for she had been at the rainbow’s end 
and found it. 

Lady April opened the pot and found 
it full of smiles, and sunshine, and loving 
thoughts, and laughter. 

She said, “I will open the pot of gold 
when I feel like weeping.” 


40 Story Time Tales 

All the flowers sprang up to greet 
her. 

Yellow butterflies floated about her. 

Bird songs were in the air. 

Everything was singing! 

The four and twenty Raindrop Fair¬ 
ies closed their four and twenty little 
umbrellas and slipped away. 

Fairy Sunshine kissed the children on 
both cheeks and said: 

“A merry heart does not mind, whether 
It is fair or stormy weather; 

As showers and sunshine run a race, 

Please wear a happy, smiling face.” 

Suddenly Peter and Polly were all 
alone in the woods. 

Peter said, “How golden your curls 
are, Polly!” 

Polly said, “How sunny your smile 
is!” 

As they started homeward, they saw 
sunshine everywhere. 

Fairy Sunshine had touched the dan¬ 
delions on the bank. 

The oriole’s breast reflected sunshine. 

There was gold on the butterflies’ 
wings. 


Story Time Tales 


41 


When Peter and Polly arrived home, 
they found the bird in his cage was 
singing of sunshine, and the prism on 
the table reflected all the rainbow 
colors. 

The children said, “Wherever we go, 
we will always carry sunshine with us!” 

After that, Peter was called, “Little 
Sir Sunshine,” for he had such a sunny 
smile, and Polly was called, “Little 
Miss Sunshine,” for her golden curls 
went dancing wherever she went. 

They were glad they had learned the 
song that Fairy Sunshine taught them. 


FAIRY SUNSHINE 


Once upon a time, when mother was 
away for a long visit and Lucy Lindy 
kept house for father, 

She played so hard, ’twould make you weep, 

She quite forgot to dust or sweep. 

One morning Fairy Sunshine called: 

“Let me in, let me in, 

Then the fun will soon begin.” 

Lucy Lindy was so surprised to hear 
a real Fairy singing. She said: 

“Fairy Sunshine, come right in now, 

I’d like to help you—I don’t know how.” 

Fairy Sunshine danced to and fro on 
the window sill, singing pretty little 
songs, but she would not come in. 

Then Lucy Lindy said: 

“If you stay out, I’ll surely cry, 

Won’t you come in, by and by?” 

Fairy Sunshine waved her wand and 
sang: 

“You’d better ask the window pane, 

I tried once, I might try again.” 

42 


Story Time Tales 


43 


« Lucy Lindy laughed merrily, 
“Heigho!” but the window pane was 
cloudy as cloudy could be. 

She ran and got a bucket of water 
and a nice clean cloth, and rubbed and 
scrubbed the window until it shone. 

Then she danced a gay little dance 
and sang: 

“If you stay out, I’ll surely cry, 

Won’t you come in, by and by?” 


Fairy Sunshine sang: 

“One thing now is very certain, 

You’d better ask the window curtain.” 


“Heigho!” but the window curtain 
was dusty and grey. 

Lucy Lindy climbed a wee ladder 
and took down the wee curtain and 
washed it and hung it on a line to dry. 
It took some time to iron and hang it 
up again, and she was so sure Fairy 
Sunshine would come in this time, she 
fairly shouted: 

“If you stay out, I’ll surely cry. 

Won’t you come in, by and by?” 


44 


Story Time Tales 


Fairy Sunshine answered merrily: 

“Pd come in, but Pm much afraid, 

You’ll have to ask the window shade. ,, 

Lucy Lindy rolled down the dusty 
old window shade and dusted it neatly, 
and she put a green geranium in the 
window. 

Lucy Lindy said, as before: 

“If you stay out, I’ll surely cry, 

Won’t you come in, by and by?” 

Fairy Sunshine cried merrily: 

“You’ll have to ask your flower-pot, 

It needs a scrub as like as not.” 

Lucy Lindy clapped her hands and 
scrubbed her flower-pot, as a beautiful 
red geranium burst into bloom. 

Then Fairy Sunshine came dancing 
in the clean window, and she blew the 
clean curtains aside, and smiled on the 
clean shade, and kissed the flower in the 
shining flower-pot. 

Everything in the room shone as 
though it were touched with Fairy gold. 

Fairy Sunshine danced merrily on the 
wall, and said: 

“If you had one and twenty guesses, 

You’d name the color of my dresses.’- 


Story Time Tales 


45 


She shone on a glass prism on the 
table and threw beautiful colors on the 
wall. 

Lucy Lindy called the baby and they 
clapped their hands with delight. 

They did not see Father standing in 
the doorway, and back of him Mother, 
who had returned from her visit. 

Father rolled each one a shining 
orange, and said: 

“A Fairy housekeeper has been here, 

And mother, too, is back my dear.” 

Such a hugging and kissing as there 
was all around, and Fairy Sunshine 
whispered: 

“Fairy gold, so I am told, 

Is for the young, and for the old.” 

Lucy Lindy’s curls became as gold 
as the sunshine, and she sang: 

“To be a good house keeper, I’ll begin, 

I’m glad I let Fairy Sunshine in.” 

For many days Fairy Sunshine played 
about that room. 

Do you think Lucy Lindy became a 
good housekeeper? 

I forgot to ask her. 





THE SPOOL FAMILY 


One day there was a great talk going 
on in the Kindergarten. 

The Sphere, Cube and Cylinder 
agreed that they could go to sleep after 
the day’s work was over. 

At that very minute, to their surprise, 
“rap-a-tap” was heard on the door, and 
the whole Spool Family entered. 

They came rumbling and tumbling 
in, and in their hurry almost rolled over 
one another. 

The Sphere said, “Cylinder, you will 
have to make them welcome.” 

The Cube said, “Cylinder, I think 
they are your cousins!” 

The Cylinder said politely, “How do 
you do?” 

The Spool Family said in their 
wooden voices: 


“The old Work Basket is our home, 
But we started out to roam.” 

46 








Story Time Tales 


47 


The Spool Family had comical faces, 
but the Big Spool that held the black 
thread was the only one who wore a 
necktie. 

He spoke up next, saying: 

“I hold shoe buttons on, ’tis said, 

I’m just a Spool of linen thread.” 

Then the little spool holding pink 
silk piped up: 

“Though not as useful, quite you see, 

I am just as dainty as can be.” 

Then, to the surprise of all, the Spools 
holding fine white and black thread 
bowed to each other and danced the 
minuet. 

When the dance was over, the Spool 
Family said: 

“We go by number, not by name, 

But we have feelings just the same.” 

Then they all began to shout their 
numbers. “40, 50, 60.” Would they 
never stop? 

Just as suddenly as they came, they 
rolled out the door, calling: 

“Even Spools have work to do, 

So we call, ‘Good-bye,’ to you. 


48 


Story Time Tales 


“Oh” and “ah,” cried the Sphere, 
Cube and Cylinder, will they ever call 
again?” 

Next morning a wonderful thing hap¬ 
pened in the Kindergarten. 

An empty Spool stood on the table in 
front of each little red chair. 

Each Spool had a face drawn upon it. 

Someone said: 

“Who likes to go to school?” 

“We do,” answered each wooden Spool. 

The children in that Kindergarten 
had such a good time after they met the 
Spool Family; they brought Spools of 
different sizes and shapes to school. 
They kept them in a box and called 
them their “Spool Family.” 

They drew faces on their Spools and 
named and numbered them. 

They pasted a strip of pasteboard 
across two Spools and made a table for 
the Spool Family. 

They told new stories about the Spool 
Family every day. 


LITTLE MISS MUFFET’S PICNIC 
PARTY 

One sunshiny summer day, Little 
Miss Muffet said: 

“I will give invitation hearty, 

This very day, to my picnic party.” , 

The Spider peeped in the door and 
said: 

“The invitations I will make,. 

And deliver them without mistake.” 

Miss Muffet was no longer afraid of 
the friendly Spider, so she replied: 

“If the Mother Goose children all are good, 

They may come to my picnic in the wood.” 

The Spider went to work and made 
beautiful invitations to the picnic,- and 
he wove pretty patterns on each invita¬ 
tion. 

Little Miss Muffet knew she must do 
some cooking for the picnic, so she put 
on her apron and cap and made a fire, 
and 

When she got out her rolling pin, 

She was almost ready to begin. 


50 


Story Time Tales 


“Rap-a-tap” was heard on the door, 
and in walked Mother Goose, singing: 

“Old Mother Hubbard, so empty’s her cupboard, 
Who’ll help fill the cupboard for Mother 
Hubbard ?” 

Little Miss Muffet went to her pantry 
shelves at once, and took down jars and 
cans of good things, and filled a basket 
for Mother Goose to take to Old 
Mother Hubbard; then Miss Muffet 
went back to her cookie-making, sing¬ 
ing: 

“Ha, ha, for the bowl and kitchen spoon, 

I will stir up picnic cookies soon.” 

“Tap, tap, tap,” was heard on the 
window, and there stood Betty Blue, 
crying because she had lost her holiday 
shoe. 

Little Miss Muffet went out and 
helped her look for the lost shoe, of 
course, and it was eleven o’clock when 
she got home. 

She said merrily, as she began to stir 
the cookies again: 

“We will be happy, all together, 

A picnic’s fun in pleasant weather.” 


Story Time Tales 


51 


“Ting-a-ling” rang the telephone, 
and Simple Simon said: 

‘‘Can I come over to-day or to-morrow, 

A penny to earn, or a penny to borrow?” 

Little Miss Muffet knew how fond 
Simple Simon was of pie, and she could 
not refuse him a penny for the Pieman. 

The invitations had gone out. 

The picnic hour was set for four 
o’clock. 

Every hour it grew nearer and nearer 
four o’clock. 

The cookies were not ready, and five 
and twenty new picnic dinner pails 
stood empty in a row. 

Miss Muffet began to roll the cookies 
out at last, when she saw Jack and Jill 
tumbling downhill. 

She ran to them, of course, to wrap 
Jack’s head up in vinegar and brown 
paper, and to help Jill up. 

She had no sooner gotten home when 
she heard Tom, the Piper’s Son, piping: 

“Humpty Dumpty, now is calling, 

He is much afraid of falling.” 

So, Miss Muffet went to rescue 
Humpty Dumpty from the wall. 


52 


Story Time Tales 


It grew nearer and nearer four 
o’clock, and I am afraid there would 
have been no picnic lunch ready at all, 
if the spider had not spun a long, long 
web, reaching to the home of 

The Old Woman of Leeds, 

Who was known for kind deeds. 

She came in a hurry to Miss Muffet’s 
house, you may be sure, and cut out the 
cookies, and put red and blue sugar 
upon them, and slipped them in the 
oven to bake, and 

The kind-hearted spider, 

Sat right there beside her. 

He said fairy verses, and the most 
surprising things began to happen as it 
grew nearer and nearer four o’clock. 

He shouted: 

“Don’t forget each sandwich plate, 

Or the picnic will be late.” 

Down sailed five and twenty paper 
plates into five and twenty empty picnic 
pails. 

Then he cried: 

“Ho, for the knife ana fork and spoon, 

The picnic party will come off soon.” 


Story Time Tales 


53 


Down sailed five and twenty little 
knives and forks and spoons into the 
shining dinner pails. 

Tom, the Piper’s Son, brought a peck 
of pickled peppers, and Tommy Tucker 
brought jelly he had earned when sing¬ 
ing for his supper, and Simple Simon 
brought a ripe, red, raspberry pie. 

The Queen of Hearts brought tarts, 
and Little Jack Horner brought a won¬ 
derful green apple pie, and Polly put 
the kettle on to make tea, so all the chil¬ 
dren helped get ready for the picnic 
party. 

The Spider called: 

“Paper napkins sail down in a row, 

The picnic hour approaches, you know.” 

Down sailed five and twenty paper 
napkins with blue birds upon them. 

The clock struck three-thirty—would 
Little Miss Muffet never return? 

The Old Woman of Leeds took the 
last cookies out of the oven, and Mother 
Goose helped pack the five and twenty 
dinner pails. 

Exactly on the stroke of four, Miss 
Muffet ran home with Lucy Locket and 
her lost pocket. 


54 


Story Time Tales 


She said: 

“I’ve been so busy, I’m sorry to say, 

We’ll have the picnic another day.” 

The Spider answered: 

“You’ve plenty of friends in Mother Goose 
Town, 

The cookies are baked, sugared and brown.” 

Simple Simon shouted: 

“Listen now, to Simple Simon, 

Lucky ’twas I met the Pieman.” 

He held up his ripe, red, raspberry 
pie, and Jack Horner held up his won¬ 
derful green apple pie, and the Queen 
of Hearts showed her tarts, and taking 
up the five and twenty dinner pails the 
Mother Goose children went with Little 
Miss Muffet to the woods. 

I’m really quite sorry to relate, 

The Ten O’Clock Scholar was very late. 

And Miss Muffet-said: 

“I’m glad T have a friendly spider,” 

As she smiled on all who sat beside her. 

Jack and Jill came safely along with 
a pail of water, while 

Tom, The Piper’s Son, played all the way, 

And the picnic party was merry and gay. 


IN MOTHER GOOSE TOWN 


In Mother Goose Town, so I’ve heard say, 

The animals talk in the strangest way; 
Mother Hubbard’s dog meets Jack Sprat’s cat, 
And they sit down for a cozy chat. 

And the Dog and Cat from the old coal-scuttle, 
Have a pleasant talk with Mistress McSchuttle ; 
They quiet keep, while Little Bo-Peep, 

Sings about her long-lost sheep. 

One day Little-Boy-All-Alone went 
into the woods and stepped inside the 
enchanted circle where all the children 
and animals enjoy speaking the same 
language. 

Mother Hubbard’s Dog said: 

“It is fun to go walking up and down, 

Sing heigh ! sing ho ! for Mother Goose Town.” 

They took hold of Little-Boy-All- 
Alone’s coat. 

They whisked him away, 

For a year and a day. 

To his surprise, all the Mother Goose 
children were making a new cupboard 
for Mother Hubbard. 


56 


Story Time Tales 


The Ten-O’Clock Scholar, who came in late, 
Said, “Take an oblong 5 by 8; 

Fold it then from left to right, 

Open it if you are bright. 

Fold each side in to the center. 

Like a door through which we enter; 

Stand it up and you will see, 

A cupboard, made by you and me. 

Cut slits in the back—put in paper shelves, 
From which we all can help ourselves; 

Cut out china and things to eat, 

Place on the shelves; ’twill be complete.” 

Sure enough, Mother Hubbard’s new 
cupboard was soon finished, and fur¬ 
nished with cut-out china and cut-out 
food. 

Simple Simon said: 

“Just as soon as I am able, 

I will make Jack Sprat a table; 

I’ll fold from an oblong or a square— 

I can find paper everywhere. 

And then some chairs I’ll have to make, 

Even with sometimes a mistake.” 

Simple Simon was so clumsy, every¬ 
one had to help him make a table and 
chairs for Jack Sprat and his Wife. 

They took a shoe box and set the table 
and chairs in it, and fitted up a real little 
dining room. Of course, they cut out 
dishes and food for the table. 


Story Time Tales 


57 


Tommy Tucker sang: 

“Who will cut out a new coal-scuttle 
For our poor old Mistress McSchuttle?” 

To the surprise of all, they heard the 
answer: 

“I will,” said her Dog’ and Cat, 

“We are tired, sitting on a mat.” 

They cut out the new coal scuttle and 
made the fireplace and andirons of 
black paper, and pasted it on white. 

Then Bo-Peep cried: 

“Who will help me now to keep, 

Track of all my naughty sheep?” 

Will you believe it? They looked 
over hill and dale and could not find 
track of the lost sheep, so they cut out 
rows, and rows, and rows of sheep, and 
pasted bits of wool upon them to make 
them look like real sheep. 

At this very minute the telephone 
rang: 

Little Boy-All-Alone began to frown, 

He said, “I was in Mother Goose Town.” 

Then he remembered what all the 
Mother Goose children had been doing, 


58 


Story Time Tales 


and he ran and got paper and scissors 
and made a very good cupboard. He 
said: 

“I have paper, and scissors, and glue, 

I can make a very good cupboard, ’tis true.” 

He made everything he had seen in 
Mother Goose Town, and many other 
things he thought of, like “The House 
that Jack Built,” and the “Old Woman 
Who Lived in a Shoe,” and so on. 

He was no longer alone, for he had 
his busy fingers and happy thoughts to 
keep him company. 

If you’re ever alone, be happy, too, 

And smile instead of frown; 

Get scissors and paper, see what you can do, 
When you visit in Mother Goose Town. 











THE PYRAMID’S STORY 


One day, when it was quiet in the 
Kindergarten, the Sphere, Cube and 
Cylinder thought they would take a 
nap. 

At this very minute a visitor walked 
in, saying in a wooden voice: 

“I have traveled far and wide, 

Is there room for me inside?” 

The Cone said: 

“We’ll welcome you, at any rate, 

If a story you will relate.” 

At that, the visitor laughed so hard 
she fell over, and everyone went to help 
her up, for she could not roll like the 
Sphere and Cylinder, to save her life. 

The visitor continued: 

“You’re so polite, I’m glad I came, 

The Pyramid is my right name.” 

Then the visitor named Pyramid be¬ 
gan to tell a story. 

Once upon a. time, a little boy had 
been playing with me at my home, and 

59 


60 


Story Time Tales 


I felt so important that I picked up a 
wooden voice and said: 

“Take the best care you can of me, 

I’m the only Pyramid here you see.” 

To my surprise, the Ink Bottle on the 
writing desk piped up in a liquid voice: 

“Ha, ha, ha, there is another, 

Pyramid, I am your brother.” 

Sure enough, the Ink Bottle looked 
like me in shape, though he laughed so 
much he grew black in the face. 

Then I said: 

“Well, Ink Bottle, we must agree, 

There are two Pyramids here I see.” 

Before I could say another word, a 
queer-looking fellow on top of the 
piano sang, “Tick, tock, tick, tock.” 

I asked him: 

“Are you the brother of the clock? 

Singing, singing, tick, tock.” 

Then the queer-looking fellow said: 

“Pm important in song and rhyme, 

Tick, tock, keep the time.” 

The queer-looking fellow was not a 
clock at all. He suddenly fell off the 


Story Time Tales 


61 


piano and began to run after me. He 
ran after me, calling: 

“Do not try to brag my dear, 

For the Metronome is near; 

If your boasting he should hear, 

’Twould be sad for you ’tis clear.” 

I could not run, so I called to the 
little boy: 

“I’m not as important, as I seem, 

Wake up, wake up, from your dream.” 

The little boy woke up suddenly. 

The Ink Bottle winked his black eyes. 

The Metronome jumped up on the 
piano. 

The little boy said, “I thought there 
were three Pyramids in the room. I 
must have been dreaming. But here is 
the old wooden Pyramid beside me, any¬ 
way. 

The Cone said, sleepily: 

“When you grow a little stronger, 

Perhaps our story-will be longer.” 

The Pyramid called: 

“We can learn some things when we try, 
Sphere, Cube, and Cylinder, good-bye.” 

I fell asleep just then myself, so I 
never knew whether that was really the 
end of the story or not. 



LITTLE DWARF MERRY 
MAKER 

Tf this story needs any explanation, 

It lias to do with a glad vacation. 

Little Boy and Little Girl stood with 
their noses flattened against the window 
pane, looking out, when they heard a 
merry voice call: 

“Little Boy, Little Girl, it is merry June, 

Ha, ha, ho, ho, are your hearts in tune?” 

It was at that very minute the chil¬ 
dren saw something that looked like a 
great white bird sailing down, down, 
down. 

They heard a “whir, whir, whir.” 

They ran out into the yard and down 
sailed a Fairy. 

He took off his little red cap and 
made a low bow, saying: 

“Little Boy, Little Girl, let me explain, 

I often arrive in my aeroplane.” 

62 


Story Time Tales 


63 


Little Boy and Little Girl laughed 
very hard at that, and went to look at 
the tiny aeroplane landed safely on their 
lawn. 

Little Dwarf Merry Maker (for it 
was he who rode in the aeroplane) said: 

“Little Boy, Little Girl, please tell the reason, 
You both seem sad, in vacation season.” 

Then Little Boy and Little Girl ex¬ 
plained that school was out and other 
little boys and girls had gone away to 
spend their vacation, but they had to 
stay at home all summer. 

Their voices were so sad it would 
have made you weep to hear them tell 
their troubles. 

Little Dwarf Merry Maker only 
laughed a merry “ha, ha,” and replied: 

“If you are on enjoyment bent, 

Why don’t you pitch a little tent?” 

“Oh” and “ah,” cried the children, 
“we never once thought of a tent!” 

They looked about them. Sure 
enough, there was a sheet flopping 
about on the clothes line invitingly. 


64 


Story Time Tales 


In less time than it takes to tell it, the 
tent was up and they were all inside. 

Little Boy said: 

“We'need a chair or two and table, 

To find them, now perhaps I’m able.” 

Little Girl said: 

“Dishes, now, are sometimes found, 

On cupboard shelves or on the ground.” 

Little Dwarf Merry Maker chuckled 
as he heard the children speak in verse 
and replied: 

“You must know a thing or two, 

Any wooden box will do.” 

Soon the children found a soap box, 
and a starch box, and a peach box. 

Then Dwarf Merry Maker cried: 

“I will call the Cretonne Fairy, 

She is really clever—very.” 

The Cretonne Fairy came and deco¬ 
rated the boxes in a twinkling of an eye. 

Little Dwarf Merry Maker cried: 

“Gather up some broken dishes, 

We can mend them with our wishes.” 

The children soon had three broken 
cups and saucers and plates, and that 


65 


Story Timjs Tales 

funny little fairy sang funny little verses 
about wishes, until they were all as good 
as new. , 

They all sat down< by the soap-box 
table and Dwarf Mer-ry Maker cried: 

“Little table, I do not tease, 

But bring - us chocolate if you please.” 

No sooner said than done, there ap¬ 
peared chocolate, smoking hot in a 
brown chocolate pot, on the table. 

Then Dwarf Merry Maker cried: 

“Little table, I do not tease, 

Bring us doughnuts, if you please.” ; 

Down sailed a plate of doughnuts so 
crisp a-nd brown. It had so many 
doughnuts upon it the children could 
not count them all. 

Dwarf Merry Maker kept singing 
happy little songs as they had their 
feast: 

“Don’t forget to make a rhyme, 

In happy, glad, vacation time.” 

Then, suddenly, without any warn- 
• ing, and just in a second of time, Dwarf 
Merry Maker ran out of the tent and 


66 Story Time Tales 

got in his aeroplane and sailed away, 
away, away, until he looked like a great 
white bird in the sky. 

Little Boy and Little Girl stood by 
the window as before. The tent was 
gone. 

Now the most wonderful part of the 
most wonderful part of the story is still 
to come. 

Mother sang: 

“Surprises often happen soon, 

In the merry month of June.” 

Father called: 

“How many hours, have you spent, 

In a real vacation tent?” 

The children never really knew quite 
how it happened, but when they had 
skipped down stairs, jumping two steps 
at a time, to their surprise, they saw a 
little white tent down in the orchard by 
the apple tree. 

Inside the tent were boxes covered 
with pretty cretonne, and on the table 
were pretty dishes, and doughnuts and 
chocolate, smoking hot! 


Story Time Tales 


67 


Little Boy and Little Girl clapped 
their hands with delight and cried: 

‘'Dwarf Merry Maker comes again, 

In his little aeroplane.” 

Mother and Father looked surprised, 
but overhead was heard a “whir, whir, 
whir,” and something that looked like 
a great white bird sailed by, and an 
airy, fairy voice called as before: 

“Little Boy, Little Girl, it is merry June, 

Ha, ha, ho, ho, are your hearts in tune?” 

Little Boy and Little Girl had a 
happy vacation in their tent, and Dwarf 
Merry Maker spent many happy hours 
with them. 


ANN’S FUNNY FINGERS 


“It is just as jolly to work as play,” 

Said the Funny Fingers to Ann one day. 

Little Ann looked down at her fin¬ 
gers, surprised to find they had voices 
and could talk to her. She got out the 
old dish pan and said: 

“I wash dishes every day in the year, 

I wish the Fairies would help me here.” 

Then the Funny Fingers began to 
dance this way, and that way, and they 
shouted: 

“Each Funny Finger, it appears, 

Has helped you work for years and years.” 

Then the Funny Fingers began to 
wash a blue plate, and cup, and saucer, 
and they said: 

“This is interesting as can be, 

For the blue china came over the sea.” 

“Dear me,” said Ann, “even the 
dishes seem to have a story to tell to¬ 
day.” 


Story Time Tales 


69 


Soon they were all washed and piled 
away neatly, and Ann put wood in the 
old kitchen stove as the Funny Fingers 
cried: 

“Even Funny Fingers have to learn, 

How to make a fire burn.’’ 

Then they suggested: 

“The Funny Fingers -take a broom, 

And skillfully they sweep a room.” 

Ann sang a little song as she swept 
the kitchen, and then she said: 

“I hate to practice, as you know, 

But to the piano I must go.” 

She hurried to the piano when her 
little kitchen tasks were done, and 
thump, thump went her fingers over the 
keys. 

The Funny Fingers shouted as though 
they were talking to themselves: 

“She stumbles so, and seldom tries, 

Though this is really our exercise.” 

“Your exercise,” cried Ann; “why, I 
thought it was my exercise. I will try 
to be more careful, then.” 


70 


Story Time Tales 


She began to count, “One, two, one, 
two,” and the music sounded much 
better. 

In half an hour the exercise really 
sounded like a pretty little piece, and 
the Funny Fingers suggested: 

“Always be careful, if you please, 

When you place us on the piano keys.” 

Ann laughed softly as the Funny 
Fingers continued: 

“The Funny Fingers like to play, 

A little game—come try croquet.” 

So, Ann put on her sun bonnet and 
went out and played a funny little game 
of croquet with the red ball and the 
green ball, and the Funny Fingers and 
the red ball won the game. 

By and by she was tired and curled 
up in the hammock and fell asleep. 

Mother came home from town and 
found the dishes washed and the fire 
burning merrily, the kitchen floor 
swept as neat as a pin. 

The music book was open on the 
piano, so she knew Ann had practiced 
her lesson. She even saw the croquet 


Story Time Tales 


71 


balls outside and she knew the Funny 
Fingers had had some fun as well as 
work. Mother put a package in little 
Ann’s lap. 

When Ann woke, she cried, “Oh, my, 
what a surprise!” 

She could hardly wait to open the 
package, which said in large letters 
upon it, “For the Funny Fingers.” 

In the package was a pair of brown 
kid gloves. 

The Funny Fingers said: 

“They’re pretty gloves, she deserves them too, 
For useful things her fingers do; 

Happy at work, and happy at play, 

Sing the Funny Fingers every day.” 

















































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Christmas Dialogs and Plays 

SEST AUTHORS’ CHRISTMAS PI.ATS. "Doll., vs. Toddy Boor, ” "Jack Hor. 

b|htB 5^ C^sW^n'S -igS Boy 

CHRISTMAS AT SKEETER CORNER. District Skewl of 50 years ago gives 

CHRllffiklAS n AT TOF 1 V'rSro A n« rar 4 est sort ‘ Anv nutn ^ r - 25c. 

rwotm o * T . ROADS. A rural Church Committee prepares 

Christmas entertainment. Their peculiarities provoke merriment 7 m io f 'ir„ 

CHRISTMAS BUDGET. Contains -Christmas Al,”hal™t*’ (dfalog) “‘Seven Chris? 

mas Tableaux” and “Christmas March” (for 1G girls). Clever 25e 
A CHRISTMAS CAROL. An original dramatization of Dickens’ charming s*~— 
A high-grade production. 12 males. 8 females. 1V4 hours 35 o ** 

CHRISTMAS DIALOGS AND PLAYS. “Dat Christmas Dinnab,” “When Christ- 

A CHRIsTviAsTREStocking.” etc. 35c? 

t BDk^t’^ind 1 hnere^tBi'g M *V.'ry ctpver'^nd n spB?y. tlle Easy 0 to Sio/'5 t.*' 

C *the!r^^uin>m*°Te^t L, ^‘ N . AT1 ° NS * Children from non-Christian nations describe 
A Christmas* Tmrir 11 r £ ym t e ’ Instructive and inspiring. 7 m., 8 f. 25c. 

A J ^ E ;u’K S ?? t V rim8 t 5? tree for Mothpr Goose children. Jack 

THF I»ni VMPfttJI'fii y ™ nny v,. Text m ca tchy rhyme. 35c. 

^ OLLS SYMPOSIUM. Toy Shop at night. Dolls and toys have great 

A ^EASt'iVtIif Wll nFRVPW specialties introduced. Clever. 35c. 

A fyni^ , ^ S>A t>Qta iTT* ®WILDERNESS. How the joy of Christmas crept into a 

THFTiPTFH^V’fVFR« t0UC ^P’°P f humo , p - ,Rasy to give. 3 m.. 1 f. y 4 hour. 25c. 
x . GIFTED GIVERS. Christmas playlet. 4 m., 5 f., high school or adults. 

THF e iIFIR ln OF eS |vi 1 T e ’ VFRxni/ 1 ' 1 ?^ Splendid for school, society or church. 35c. 
AHE UEIK OF MT, VERNON, Colonial play, in which Washington’s social life 

top a » • rK>rtray ® d ; I 8 b0 P and 8 K irls - or more. 1% hrs. 35c. 

THE LOST I RINCE. t rince is kidnapped. Great excitement. Restored by good 
fairies. Charming and beautiful. Easy to learn. 6 m. 9 f 35c 
^ R ® NIGHT chr *STMAS. Children midst’songs and’frolic plan a 

nRfriT/r ^stead ; glad time folloV. 35c. 

ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS DIALOGS. Little Jerry’s Christmas,” “Story of the 
Star.” “Message of the Bells.” etc. 35c. 

THE FJNK SCARF. A breezy confab for glib-tongued school girls. Dixie drops 
a hint that she wants a pink scarf. She gets it—six times. 25c. 

Christmas Recitations and Exercises 

THE CHRISTMAS COLLATION, Splendid new collection of recitations, songs, 
dialogs, plays, etc. Complete programs for all grades. Desirable. 40c 
FIN DE SIECLE CHRISTMAS EXERCISES. Delightful recitations, exercises, 
dialogs, songs. Suitable for all grades. Bright, catchy, sensible. 25c. 

HOW TO CELEBRATE. A complete program for Christmas, Thanksgiving, 
Washington’s Birthday, and all holidays. Practical and pleasing. 40c. 

NEW CHRISTMAS BOOK. Contains recitations for little tots, primary exercises 
and dialogs. Also play for 3 males, 2 females. A hook of big values. 40c 
NEW HOLIDAY RECITATIONS AND EXERCISES. Collection of recitations 
and exercises suitable for school and church. For primary and grades 25c 
ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS RECITATIONS. “Waiting for Santa,” “Santa’s Mis¬ 
take,” “Scaring Santa,” etc. Every one a gem. 25c. 

TWENTIETH CENTURY CHRISTMAS EXERCISES. Abundant recitations 
exercises, dialogs, etc. “Jack’s Little Sister,” “Paul Garwln’s Christmas.” 25c! 

Christmas Drills and Marches 


CHRISTMAS STAR MARCH AND DRILL. Superbly brilliant. Picturesque in 
effect. Fancy figures. Sure to please. Any age. 16 to 24 females. 25c. 

HOLLY. A jumping rope drill for six little girls. Music. 15c, 

Hallowe’en Entertainments 

BRIGHT IDEAS FOR HALLOWE’EN. Contains five complete plays, as “A 
Hallowe’en Surprise,” “The Candidate,” /Fairies to the Rescue,” etc./also many 
other exercises. A most desirable collection. 40c. 

THE COMPLETE HALLOWE’EN BOOK. Contains drills, recitations, panto¬ 
mimes, exercises and short plays. Also full directions for entertaining, etc. 40c. 

A HALLOWE’EN ADVENTURE. A lively play. Full of ghostly excitement 
and spooky frolic. 8 males and 8 females, or more. 3 scenes. 1 hour. 25c. 

HELPS AND HINTS FOR HALLOWE’EN. For planning celebrations for school, 
church and home. Contains plays, drills, exercises, and other novel sugges¬ 
tions. 40c. 


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